طَلَبتُكِI sought you ياO دُنياworld فَأَعذَرتُand I spared no effort فيin الطَلَبthe pursuit
طَلَبتُكِ يا دُنيا فَأَعذَرتُ في الطَلَب
فَماyet ... not نِلتُI gained إِلّاexcept الهَمَّworry وَالغَمَّand sorrow وَالنَصَبand weariness
فَما نِلتُ إِلّا الهَمَّ وَالغَمَّ وَالنَصَب
I sought you, O world, and spared no effort in pursuit.
Yet I gained only worry, sorrow, and weariness.
فَلَمّاand when بَداbecame clear ليto me أَنَّنيthat I لَستُam not واصِلاًattaining
فَلَمّا بَدا لي أَنَّني لَستُ واصِلاً
إِلىto لَذَّةٍa pleasure إِلّاexcept بِأَضعافِهاat many times its measure تَعَبtoil
إِلى لَذَّةٍ إِلّا بِأَضعافِها تَعَب
And when it became clear to me that I could not attain
any pleasure except at the cost of toil many times greater,
وَأَسرَعتُand I squandered فيin دينيmy faith وَلَمand ... not أَقضِI fulfilled بُغيَتيmy desire
وَأَسرَعتُ في ديني وَلَم أَقضِ بُغيَتي
هَرَبتُI fled بِدينيwith my faith مِنكِfrom you إِنif نَفَعَavailed الهَرَبflight
هَرَبتُ بِديني مِنكِ إِن نَفَعَ الهَرَب
and had squandered my faith without attaining my desire,
I fled from you with my faith, if flight could avail.
تَخَلَّيتُI withdrew مِمّاfrom what فيكِis in you جُهديmy utmost effort وَطاقَتيand my strength
تَخَلَّيتُ مِمّا فيكِ جُهدي وَطاقَتي
كَماjust as يَتَخَلّىrid themselves القَومُpeople مِنof عَرَّةِthe affliction of الجَرَبscabies
كَما يَتَخَلّى القَومُ مِن عَرَّةِ الجَرَب
I withdrew from all within you, with all my effort and strength,
as people rid themselves of the affliction of scabies.
فَماso ... not تَمَّlasted ليfor me يَوماًfor a day إِلىuntil اللَيلِnight مَنظَرٌa sight
فَما تَمَّ لي يَوماً إِلى اللَيلِ مَنظَرٌ
أُسَرُّI am delighted بِهِby it لَمnot يَعتَرِضintervene دونَهُin its way شَغَبturmoil
أُسَرُّ بِهِ لَم يَعتَرِض دونَهُ شَغَب
No sight ever lasted me through the day till nightfall,
delighting me without turmoil getting in its way.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَمِمَّنam surely among those whose خَيَّبَthwarted اللَهُGod سَعيَهُhis striving
وَإِنّي لَمِمَّن خَيَّبَ اللَهُ سَعيَهُ
إِذاif كُنتُI am أَرعىI tend لَقحَةًa milch she-camel مُرَّةَbitter الحَلَبmilk
إِذا كُنتُ أَرعى لَقحَةً مُرَّةَ الحَلَب
And surely I am among those whose striving God has thwarted,
if I tend a milch she-camel whose milk is bitter.
أَرىI advise لَكَfor you أَنthat لاnot تَستَطيبَyou take comfort لِخِلَّةٍin a friendship
أَرى لَكَ أَن لا تَستَطيبَ لِخِلَّةٍ
كَأَنَّكَas though you فيهاin it قَدalready أَمِنتَwere safe مِنَfrom العَطَبruin
كَأَنَّكَ فيها قَد أَمِنتَ مِنَ العَطَب
I counsel you not to take comfort in any friendship,
as though in it you were safe from ruin.
أَلَمhave ... not تَرَهاyou see it دارَan abode of افتِراقٍparting وَفَجعَةٍand bereavement
أَلَم تَرَها دارَ افتِراقٍ وَفَجعَةٍ
إِذاwhen ذَهَبَdeparts الإِنسانُa person فيهاin it فَقَدthen indeed ذَهَبhe is gone
إِذا ذَهَبَ الإِنسانُ فيها فَقَد ذَهَب
Have you not seen it as a home of parting and bereavement,
where, once a person is gone, he is gone for good?
أُقَلِّبُI turn طَرفيmy gaze مَرَّةًone time بَعدَafter مَرَّةٍanother time
أُقَلِّبُ طَرفي مَرَّةً بَعدَ مَرَّةٍ
لِأَعلَمَto learn ماwhat فيin النَفسِthe soul وَالقَلبُwhile the heart يَنقَلِبkeeps changing
لِأَعلَمَ ما في النَفسِ وَالقَلبُ يَنقَلِب
I turn my gaze again and again,
to learn what is within the soul, while the heart keeps changing.
وَسَربَلتُand I clothed أَخلاقيmy character قُنوعاًcontentment وَعِفَّةًand self-restraint
وَسَربَلتُ أَخلاقي قُنوعاً وَعِفَّةً
فَعِنديso I have بِأَخلاقيthrough my character كُنوزٌtreasures مِنَof الذَهَبgold
فَعِندي بِأَخلاقي كُنوزٌ مِنَ الذَهَب
And I clothed my character in contentment and self-restraint,
so through my character I possess treasures of gold.
فَلَمfor ... not أَرَI have seen خُلقاًa trait كَالقُنوعِlike contentment لِأَهلِهِfor its possessors
فَلَم أَرَ خُلقاً كَالقُنوعِ لِأَهلِهِ
وَأَنand that يُجمِلَbe moderate الإِنسانُa person ماas long as عاشَhe lives فيin الطَلَبseeking
وَأَن يُجمِلَ الإِنسانُ ما عاشَ في الطَلَب
For I have seen no trait like contentment for those who possess it,
and moderation in seeking for as long as a person lives.
وَلَمand ... not أَرَI have seen فَضلاًexcellence تَمَّwas perfected إِلّاexcept بِشيمَةٍthrough character
وَلَم أَرَ فَضلاً تَمَّ إِلّا بِشيمَةٍ
وَلَمand ... not أَرَI have seen عَقلاًreason صَحَّbecame sound إِلّاexcept عَلىfounded on أَدَبgood conduct
وَلَم أَرَ عَقلاً صَحَّ إِلّا عَلى أَدَب
Nor have I seen excellence perfected except through noble character,
nor have I seen sound reason except when grounded in good conduct.
وَلَمand ... not أَرَI have seen فيamong الأَعداءِenemies حينَwhen خَبَرتُهُمI tested them
وَلَم أَرَ في الأَعداءِ حينَ خَبَرتُهُم
عَدُوّاًan enemy لِعَقلِto the reason of المَرءِa person أَعدىmore hostile مِنَthan الغَضَبanger
عَدُوّاً لِعَقلِ المَرءِ أَعدى مِنَ الغَضَب
Nor have I seen among enemies, when I tested them,
an enemy to a person's reason more hostile than anger.
وَلَمand ... not أَرَI have seen بَينَbetween اليُسرِease وَالعُسرِand hardship خُلطَةًmingling
وَلَم أَرَ بَينَ اليُسرِ وَالعُسرِ خُلطَةً
وَلَمand ... not أَرَI have seen بَينَbetween الحَيِّthe living وَالمَيتِand the dead مِنany سَبَبbond
وَلَم أَرَ بَينَ الحَيِّ وَالمَيتِ مِن سَبَب
Nor have I seen any mingling between ease and hardship,
nor have I seen any bond between the living and the dead.
Sol 6.1